It'll Be Worth It
by Marauder's Lilyflower
Summary: The story of how Lily came to love James and actually date him. Sorry, I suck at summaries... Please read and tell me what you think!


**Hey! I am the author of the Andromeda Black series (well, what there is so far) and would like to introduce a new fanfiction of my #1 OTP... JILY**!

**I hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of its characters.**

**Chapter 1: The Start Of A New Year**

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"LILY!"

There. That right there was the shrieking and irritating voice of my older sister waking me from my pleasant slumber. Her name was Petunia Evans and she was the definition of a "sour older sister". We were quite different too. While she was normal and tall, skinny and blond with a long neck and a horse-looking face, I was short, redheaded, freckled and well, as she put it, a FREAK (Yes, it is in capitals because if humans could talk like words written down, how she says that particular word, deserves the capitals).

"Yes Tuney?" I asked the girl who had found her way into my room. "What is it that you need me for at-" I glanced at my clock, "-Nine o'clock in the morning?"

"Oh just that Mother needs you to wake up so you can catch your train to that freak school of yours," she said, hurriedly walking out of my room.

My eyes widened in realization and I jumped out of bed. The train for Hogwarts! I knew I should've set my alarm on my clock last night. I still have lots to do and I only have two hours! Well, one hour. Mum and Dad would need time to drive me to the station. And I can't be late! I'm Head Girl!

An hour later everyone and everything were packed in the car and we were soon speeding our way to our destination, Mum and Dad in the front. Mum had a loving face and fiery red hair like me, whereas Dad was more Petunia-looking.

Mum and Dad had just finished their discussion on the traffic on the roads today when we pulled up to the station with fifteen minutes left. We got out of the car and made our way to the space between platform nine and ten and Petunia spoke.

"I am NOT going into that freak place!"

"Sweety," Mum said, "It's Lily's last year-"

"AND? What's so special about it? Just because she's "Head Girl" doesn't mean we have to drop her off at the front door."

Mum sighed. "Okay. Okay. Lily, we'll say goodbye now. God forbid I don't want any arguments right now."

"That's okay, Mum. I better get on the train early anyway. Gotta see who the Head Boy is as well," I said, hugging both Mum and Dad. Then I turned to Petunia, waved and said, "Bye Tuney."

Before she could reply, I picked up my luggage and ran in the direction of the brick wall of platform ten, my eyes closed. When I opened them again I was in a large platform swarming with families seeing their children off. A huge steam engine was in the middle of the platform, some students already aboard it.

"Lily!"

I turned and saw one of my best friends waving at me and smiling. Marlene McKinnon was tall with pale skin and blond hair with bright brown eyes. Beside her was another one of my best friends, Mary McDonald who was short, tan and brunette with large blue eyes.

"You didn't tell us you were Head Girl!" Mary exclaimed as I ran towards them.

"Congratulations Lily!" Mary said. "And look! I'm a Prefect!"

"Congrats Mary," I said, hugging her.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Marlene said. "So your royal highnesses, how about we find some seats on the train before there are none left."

"Okay," I said. "Hey, do you two know who the Head Boy is?"

"Oh, um, Lily," Marlene said hesitantly. "No. No I don't know. No idea at all."

"Uh-huh."

Once we packed our luggage in the end carriage of the train (which was now moving) and screamed about the fact that this was our last year, Mary and I made our way to the Prefect's carriage for a meeting that both Head Boy and Girl have to conduct the meeting, telling the Prefects what they will be required to do, and timetable the patrolling hours.

When we got there however, it wasn't exactly what I imagined it to be. We stepped into the carriage and the first thing I saw was a head of _very_ untidy jet-black hair.

The student with the unruly hair turned around to reveal pale skin and round-rimmed glasses around hazel eyes. James Potter. James. Potter. The boy who has led his gang of pranksters and bullied countless students, including my ex-best friend, Severus Snape. He has also tried, to no avail, to successfully ask me out more times than I am able to count, and has only succeeded in aggravating me more and more each times he asks. You may wonder why I refuse to go out with one of the hottest guys in school (don't tell him I said that), but he bullies people and humiliates them.

"Potter, what are you doing here? This carriage is for the Heads and Prefects only!"

"Lily," Mary whispered, her nose scrunched up, her eyes closed. "James is-"

"HEAD BOY!" Potter shouted happily. "Now we finally get to work together, Lily!"

"What? You're not- you can't be- WHY WOULD DUMBLEDORE APPOINT YOU HEAD BOY? HAS HE COMPLETELY LOST HIS MIND?" I yelled.

"Lily," Mary said with a reasoning voice, "James has changed over the summer and he's more mature!"

"Now why don't I believe that?" I asked skeptically.

"Because, according to you, I am an "arrogant, egotistical toerag" who deserves to rot in hell," James said as if it were a common day-to-day fact.

"You're not wrong on that Potter," I said, glaring at him.

"Are we going to sit and listen to you two quarrel all day," a voice said coolly from the door of the carriage, "Or are you going to tell us what we are doing this year?"

"Well, Snivellus," Potter said, turning around to face none other than Severus Snape. "What a surprise to see you here! Had no idea Dumbledore picked you as a Prefect-"

"You're right, Mary," I said. "Potter has matured. He hasn't hexed Severus yet."

"If that was an invitation, Lily..." James started.

"It wasn't," I replied shortly, turning to face the rest of the Prefects. There was a boy and girl from all four Hogwarts houses from years five to seven. There were people like Bellatrix Lestrange, a dark, twisted girl, to Remus Lupin, a kind hearted boy, who actually happens to be one of Potter's best friends.

"Er," I said, glancing sideways at Potter, "you have all been chosen to be a Prefect and you are required to take responsibilities such as patrolling the school or taking care of small incidences in an appropriate manner. You cannot take points from Houses or give out detentions, but if you feel a student needs to be punished for something, refer them to their Head of House."

"You guys will need to figure out who you are patrolling the halls with," Potter said, "and if Lily and I feel that you shouldn't be working with your current partner, you will have to find another one."

"Right," I said, both impressed and relieved Potter had spoken up. "Thanks Potter."

Remus Lupin gasped. "My God, Prongs. I think Lily actually _thanked_ you!"

Merlin's Beard, she did!" Mary exclaimed. I rolled my eyes.

"Uh," Potter said, "I made a timetable over the holidays of patrolling times so everyone can just alternate."

James Potter made a timetable for patrolling. And he is Head Boy. And he didn't blast Severus' head off either. Did he actually mature over the holidays? Why? I thought he liked how he was...

"Lily?" Potter said. "Earth to Evans!"

"Huh? What?" I said, looking around.

"Well," James said, "while you were staring at me and probably dreaming about how awesome I am, I asked you if you want to patrol with me. You know, because we're Head Boy and Head Girl."

"Uh, sure," I said. "Wait, aren't you gonna partner up with Remus?"

"He and Mary are patrolling together," James said, nodding over to the pair who were signing their names on Potter's timetable. I nodded.

Mary came over to me when she finished writing her name down and Potter went and signed our names on the left over spaces.

"So I've noticed that you haven't killed James yet," Mary examined. "What's he doing right?"

"Well so far he hasn't done anything wrong," I said. What has happened to James Potter?

The meeting finished and Mary and I made our way back to our carriage only to find Marlene talking to none other than Sirius Black and Pete Pettigrew. Remember how I said Potter lead his little gang? Well apart from Remus, Black and Pettigrew were the other two group members. Sirius Black was tall and handsome with long black hair that came to his shoulders. He may look pretty, but he has tried to woo almost every girl at Hogwarts. He will break hearts. Peter Pettigrew was the tag along in the group. Don't get me wrong, he is loyal and a great friend to his group of comrades (who even have nicknames for each other, like how before Remus called Potter "prongs"). He was the smallest and chubbiest and looked a bit mousey.

"Oh, thank God, you guys are back!" Marlene said happily. "How was the royal meeting?"

"Lily didn't kill James and she even thanked him!" Mary said loudly as we took our seats.

"Holy Mother of Merlin!" Sirius exclaimed. "How is this possible?"

"The end of the world must be near," Pettigrew gasped.

"Why are you guys acting like it's a big deal?" I asked.

"Probably because Prongs has loved you since fourth year but all you guys do is fight and even though he annoys you all the time, you haven't killed him. I thought he was dead for sure when he got Head Boy."

"Why are we talking about me being dead for sure?" Potter's voice came from out in the corridor.

"Because we can," Sirius said when Potter appeared, Remus right behind him.

Today was the day that I realized that the world was against me in some twisted way when the only space left on the seats for Potter to occupy was right next to me, squishing me against the compartment door.

"You alright Evans?" Potter asked, looking down at me.

"Yeah. Just. Squashed," I said.

"Oh, right," Potter said looking around him. "Pete, can you please move over a little bit?"

"Okay," Pettigrew said as he moved over towards the window so Potter could shuffle along the seat, leaving me slightly less squished. Still squished, but slightly less.

"Thanks," I said. Great! That's the second time today I have said "thanks" to him! Ugh, what is HAPPENING?

"So how were your holidays?" Potter asked me.

"Uh," I said. "Boring I guess. Just stayed home, really, and read and watched movies and bored myself half to death. You?"

"Mine were great!" Potter said, brightening up. "Sirius stayed over because,well, he couldn't go home and we went shopping for Quidditch stuff and our parents had little parties if gusts ever came over, which was most of the time and Mum took us out to see this awesome movie, Star Wars!"

"Ooh, I loved that movie!"

We conversed over the topic of Star Wars for a couple hours (which was probably the first conversation we had ever really had that didn't include shouting at one another), only stopping to get some candy from the trolley when it passed and resuming the conversation. We only fully stopped when our compartment door slid open, a few people standing behind it. Lucius Malfoy had long, blond hair and cruel, grey eyes. Bellatrix Lestrange and Severus Snape were there too, flanked by two other people I couldn't see properly.

"Well, well, well," Malfoy drawled. "The whole big Griffindor gang all here! Who would have thought you'd see them all in the same room, getting along at that!"

"Are you here for some particular reason, Malfoy?" Potter asked, crossing his arms.

"Oh! We are just here to congratulate you on Head Boy! And congratulate your little mudblood girlfriend on getting Head Girl!" Malfoy said, amused.

"Don't _ever_ call Lily that again!" Potter said.

"A little protective of her, don't you think?" Bellatrix said before her and her group walked off laughing.

"Does she seriously not understand that I'm Head Girl?" Potter said angrily. "She can't talk about you like that!"

"It's just a word, Potter," I said.

"Yeah right," he replied.

"So what's our prank for the feast, boys?" Black asked, clapping his hands together.

"You guys are still going to pull a prank? James is Head Boy!" Mary said, horrified. "You were pushing your luck when there was a Prefect in your group. James could lose his badge too!"

"It's our last year, Mary," Potter said softly. "We can't miss this one."

"He's right," Marlene said. "It is. And that's why I'm joining in."

"Are you sure?" Remus asked. "You could get in trouble."

"It'll be worth it." The words came out of my mouth before I could stop them and despite everyone's stunned looks, I was the most surprised. I'm Head Girl. I have worked so hard to get this badge and I'm just going to risk it for a stupid prank?

"You sure, Lilykins?" Black asked.

"Don't call me that, Black," I said roughly.

There was a loud knock on the compartment door. Alice Prewett and Frank Longbottom were standing awkwardly in the doorway. Alice was a plump girl with short brown hair and Frank was tall with brunette hair and he was the clumbsiest person in our year. Alice and Frank had been dating for just under a year now and were the cutest couple at Hogwarts.

"Hey guys," Frank said. "Can we join you? The first years in our carriage were getting a bit loud."

"Yeah sure," Marlene said. "There isn't any room though. But-" she made a pointed look at Black, "-I'm sure Black wouldn't mind the floor."

"What?" Black asked, looking at Marlene who glared at him. He sighed and stood up. "Fine. But that leaves one space. There are two people. Marlene you wouldn't mind, would you?"

"Guys it's okay, really. We could just sit on the floor," Alice suggested.

"No. No, it's okay," Marlene said, standing up and moving over to the window, plopping herself down on the floor.

"Well I'll sit down with you, babe," Black said, sitting down next to Marlene and putting his arm around her shoulders.

"Don't call me that," Marlene said, shrugging Black's arm away. Alice and Frank sat down in the now unoccupied spaces.

"Why not, babe?" Black asked. He then turned to face everyone. "So anyone have ideas for the big prank?"

"Wait, is everyone in on this prank?" Frank said, looking at me, then Marlene and then Mary. "Everyone?"

"Yes," Remus said, nodding. "Are you guys in too?"

"Well," Potter said as the couple nodded, "We could make everyone's drinks explode with confetti? No, we've done that, right?"

"Yeah that was the end of fourth year," I said.

"Well someone sure paid attention," Alice giggled.

"Hey, it took a whole _week_ to get that stuff out of my hair!" I said defensively.

"Plus," Mary said. "That's a bit too babyish for seventh years."

"Maybe we could make everyone's stuff disappear?" Pettigrew said.

"Yeah and then we could make something _else_ appear on the tables!" I said.

"Hmmm," Potter said. "Spiders would be too scary for some people... Maybe monkeys?"

"DANCING MONKEYS!" Black declared loudly.

"Do you have to shout?" Marlene shouted, rubbing her ear.

We made a scheme of what to do, which spells to use and when we do the prank. It was fun scheming it, but I felt disappointed in myself. I'm Head Girl for God's sake! I shouldn't be pulling pranks or even working with these four guys! They are the troublemakers of the school and have had countless detentions. Should I be working with them, with or without this being my last year?

Before I could change my mind and bail on the whole plan, the train came to a stop and we had to get off the train. We walked out of the station and over to one of the horseless carriages. Alice, Mary, Marlene and I got into one and the boys got into another and soon we were speeding off to Hogwarts, our prank not long from unravelling.

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**Thanks for reading! I hope you liked it! Please favourite and review or PM! Your feedback can be harsh or good or advice. All feedback is appreciated!**


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